The Progressive Democratic Party (, PDP), formerly known as Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), is a Sarawak-based political party in Malaysia. Founded in 2002, the party was formed in the aftermath of an initial deregistration of the Sarawak National Party (SNAP). The party is a founding and principal component of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) which governs the state of Sarawak.
History The party was founded in the wake of the deregistration of the Sarawak National Party (SNAP) in November 2002. Initially named as the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), it was governed by a faction aligned to the then Chief Minister of Sarawak, Abdul Taib Mahmud, led by William Mawan Ikom. A leadership crisis between Mawan Ikom and Tiong King Sing factions led William Mawan Ikom and entire SPDP state assemblymen to leave SPDP in 2013 for newly founded party TERAS. Tiong King Sing who was then member of Parliament then took control of SPDP.
In 2017, the party rebranded as the Progressive Democratic Party, having planned to expand to certain West Malaysian states, including Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Johor (where it has established 6 divisions in 2017), although the party remains based and mostly active in Sarawak. It is one of the former component parties of the Barisan Nasional coalition. Following the fall of BN in the 2018 general election, the aftermath of a meeting between Sarawak-based BN component parties on 12 June 2018 resulted in all parties, including the PDP, to leave the coalition. The parties, led by Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), decided to form a Sarawak-based coalition named Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) approximately one month after the election.
In April 2024, Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) was merged into PDP and its members were accepted into PDP, including 3 state assemblymen.
Electoral history At the 2011 Sarawak state election, PDP won six out of the eight seats it contested. In the 2013 General Election, all 4 of the party's candidates won their respective seats, including William Mawan himself, where he won in Saratok against Ali Biju of PKR.
At the 2021 Sarawak state election, PDP won five out of the six seats it contested.
Organisational structure Position Name President Tiong King Sing Deputy President Henry Harry Jinep Senior Vice President(s) Wong Soon Koh Penguang Manggil Rolland Duat JubinVice President(s) Alexander Asing Sadai Friday Belik Roland Ting Hua Sing Johnical Rayong Ngipa Baru Bian Secretary General Dato Anyi Ngau PDP Youth Chief YBrs. Tuan Yiak Chiong Wei PDP Women Chief YBhg. Cr Wendy Earnest SadanPDP Information ChiefJoshua Ting Fu Ying
Elected representatives Dewan Negara (Senate) Senators
Appointed by His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Pele Peter Tinggom
Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives) Members of Parliament of the 15th Malaysian Parliament
PDP has 2 MPs in the House of Representatives. State No.Parliament Constituency MemberParty P217 Bintulu Tiong King Sing PDP P220 Baram Anyi Ngau PDP Total
Dewan Undangan Negeri (State Legislative Assembly) Malaysian State Assembly Representatives
Sarawak State Legislative Assembly
StateNo.Parliamentary ConstituencyNo.State ConstituencyMemberPartyP192Mas GadingN02Tasik BiruHenry Harry Jinep PDPP203Lubok AntuN33EngkililiJohnical Rayong NgipaPDPP205SaratokN39KrianFriday BelikPDPP209JulauN48MeluanRolland Duat JubinPDPP211LanangN52DudongTiong King SingPDPP212SibuN53Bawang Assan Wong Soon KohPDPP220BaramN76MarudiPenguang ManggilPDPP222LawasN81Ba'kelalan Baru BianPDPTotal
Government offices
Ministerial posts PortfolioOffice BearerConstituencyMinister of Tourism, Arts and CultureTiong King Sing Bintulu
State government
Sarawak (2002–2014, 2016–present)
Note: bold as Premier/Chief Minister, italic as junior partner
Election results General election results Election Total seats won Seats contested Total votes Share of votes Outcome of election Election leader2004 4 50,350 0.72% 4 seats; Governing coalition William Mawan Ikom2008 4 52,645 0.66% ; Governing coalition William Mawan Ikom2013 4 55,505 0.50% ; Governing coalition William Mawan Ikom2018 4 59,853 0.50% 2 seats; Opposition coalition , later Governing coalition Tiong King Sing2022 4 84,0450.54%; Governing coalitionTiong King Sing
State election results State election State Legislative Assembly Sarawak Total won / Total contested 2/3 majority2006201120162021
Notes
References
Further reading Khoo, Phillip (June 2004) The Taming of the Dayak. Aliran Monthly Chin, James. 2004. 'Sabah and Sarawak: The more things change, the more they remain the same', in Chin Kin Wah (ed) Southeast Asian Affairs 2004 (Singapore: Institute of South East Asian Studies, 2004) () James Chin. 2011. Forced to the Periphery: Recent Chinese Politics in East Malaysia. Singapore: ISEAS
External links